


Queen of Stars

by sv_you_know_who_I_am



Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Birthday, F/M, Fluff, Holiday, Pregnancy, Winter Solstice, surprise, yulemaas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-12 02:51:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9052312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sv_you_know_who_I_am/pseuds/sv_you_know_who_I_am
Summary: Winter Solstice and Feyre's birthday bring and extra surprise that Rhys wasn't expecting. Written for Yulemaas for feysand17! :D





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheBookishSoul](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBookishSoul/gifts).



 

I looked myself over in the full-length mirror, Nuala and Cerridwen hovering at either of my shoulders. They smiled warmly at the new outfit Mor had gotten me for my birthday, and I ran my tattooed fingers over it, hoping it would always fit this well. It had been a long time now since the war that had nearly wrecked us all, and the aftermath had taken over a decade to sort through. Even now there were still little concerns that cropped up, loose ends that had yet to be tied together. As High Lady of the Night Court, I had been trained swift and early in all manner of courtly responsibilities–and I was surprised, under Rhysand’s tutelage, just how well I’d taken to it.

Tonight, however, I did not have to think about the Court of Nightmares or negotiations with the Spring Court led by my next-oldest sister and her red-headed husband. I did not have to look at paperwork or check in on the Illyrians. Tonight, Rhys had told me, was going to be all about me.

Or so he thought.

The Winter Solstice was a major holiday in the Night Court, little surprise. The tedium of the Spring Court ceremonies made way for a night full of celebration that exceeded even Starfall. This morning, Rhys and I had winnowed to the border with Day Court to perform a friendlier ceremony in which Lord Helion conceded the dominance of the sun to the reign of the night. Come Summer Solstice, we would do the same for him. Lord Helion had granted us an artifact traditionally passed between our courts–an old medallion on a chain with the sun etched on one side and the moon and stars on the other.

I wore that medallion now, the moon facing out. The burnished gold matched the accents on my gown–a band of gold around my throat from which midnight blue silk flowed, rouched around my bodice before flowing out in glittering panels from a gold, jeweled belt at my waist. It glittered when I twirled in front of the mirror, and I giggled in delight. Nuala and Cerridwen laughed too, and Cerridwen tucked a strand of my hair back behind my ear where it belonged.

“You look divine, Feyre darling,” my mate said from behind me. I caught a glimpse of him in the mirror and then turned around, my stomach dropping at the sight of him. Should I tell him, or wait?

Wait. Definitely wait.

Rhys looked me up and down with beautiful warmth on his face. He, too, was bedecked in more finery than usual–we might be going out on the town to partake in the celebrations, but we wanted to look our best for the occasion. He wore his crown of silver stars, and a matching one of gold appeared on my head with a twirl of his finger. “Perfect,” he murmured, taking my hands in his and pressing a soft kiss to my lips. My toes curled in response but I managed to keep my composure. It was such a challenge to hold myself together when I imagined the smile I hoped I’d find on his face. “Shall we?” he asked, offering me his arm.

“Of course,” I said. I took his arm and he winnowed us from the townhouse to the city below, landing us right in the middle of the Rainbow. Cries of delight went up when the people already assembled saw us arrive, and I beamed brightly at the sight of the Rainbow lit up for the holiday. Large fires were scattered throughout the plaza, with tables full of food and drink set up everywhere. Artists had their wares set out before their shops, deeply discounted or free for celebrants.

“Happy Birthday, My Lady!” called various citizens as Rhys and I began to stroll about. After the war, and after I had truly become part of the Night Court in every way, I had decided not to hide my birthday as I had in the Spring Court. I had worried to Rhys that it might distract from the usual holiday, but he had assured me that this would absolutely not be the case.

He was right, as always.

The court had been overjoyed to incorporate my birthday into their usual celebrations, and even now I was unsurprised to see that some of the artists were offering portraits or sculptures of me, either in my court finery or in my Illyrian flying leathers, wing spread wide. My favorites were the ones where Rhys and I were together, each a counterpoint to the other.

We passed a store with one such sculpture about the size of my forearm displayed prominently. “I’m still never sure what to think of those,” I confessed to Rhys quietly as we walked hand in hand. “I haven’t gotten used to it.”

“Neither have I, honestly,” Rhys agreed. It hadn’t been a practice until after the war–after Rhys’s actions Under the Mountain had become well-known. Now he and I both were subjects of paintings and sculptures and even song and poetry–some of which was being performed in corners of the Palace even now. “Though you must admit, it is a stunning rendering.”

“It is yours if you want it, My Lady,” said the artist, their angled gold eyes lighting in regard. “As a birthday gift.”

“Thank you, but I wouldn’t dream of robbing you of the price you could get for this stunning work,” I said diplomatically. I saw the artist’s shoulders droop just slightly and added, “The last thing your High Lord needs is another thing to swell his ego. Your work is so fine it may do just that.” The artist laughed and Rhys nudged me in the side lovingly. I looked the piece over one more time to assure them of my admiration.

I looked closer at the sculpture and smiled, amazed and a little unsettled by just how perfectly the artist had rendered me and my mate. Even the details on my tattoo were accurate, and the slight scarring on Rhysand’s wings were in precise detail. I examined the details on our faces and found myself wondering if the dreams I’d been having lately were accurate–if the way I imagined our features blending would come to pass. My hand subconsciously drifted down my bodice and Rhys marked the movement, lifting his eyebrow.

“Shall we go get food, love?” he asked.

“Yes,” I said, glancing away so he could not see through my careful neutrality.

Rhys, naturally, led me to the table that happened to contain a massive birthday cake decorated in my honor. My stomach growled in eagerness, and in a way most undignified for a High Lady, I reached out a finger and scooped up a glob of chocolate frosting to lick off my finger. Rhys laughed at me, and in revenge I took another glob and perched it right on the tip of his nose.

He blinked in surprise and I heard the crowd quiet for a moment as they waited for his response, but he just roared in laughter and grabbed me by the waist, spinning me around in the air before setting me down again.

“I can’t get this off myself, you know,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest. I snorted and stood on my toes to kiss the tip of his nose, licking the frosting off as I did. Then, before I could return to the cake, he swept me up on his arms and led me in the dance currently going in the middle of the square.

Later, breathless and giddy and full of cake and other sweets, Rhys and I broke away from the main celebration to get some peace and quiet along the river. We walked hand-in-hand across the bridge, and my heart clenched at the beauty of the moonlight shining on the Sidra leading to the sea. The night air was cool but not bitter, and the darkness was soothing and welcoming. I stopped in the middle of the bridge and Rhys stood behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist securely as we stared at the stars together. His thumb ran over the back of my hand, and we absently swayed to the distant music wafting over from the Rainbow.

“Happy birthday, my love,” Rhys murmured. “I have a gift for you.”

“Rhys,” I sighed. He’d already given me a new easel that morning, and I’d told him year after year that the party alone was enough to satisfy me.

“You’ll like it,” he assured me.

“I’m sure,” I said, “but–”

“Shh,” Rhys said, and he pressed his lips to the back of my head. “It is a tradition in the Night Court,” he began, his voice running like honey over my shoulders, “to identify and name a new constellation every century.”

“I’d have thought you’d found them all by now,” I said.

Rhys chuckled and said, “Somehow there’s always another. And this year …” He slid his hand down my arm until he took my hand in his and raised it before us. “Right there. You see that blue star?”

I squinted and nodded when I saw the one he meant. Then Rhys used my finger to trace from that star to another and another, until I could see the shape in the sky. “I see it,” I said with a smile.

“This afternoon, before we came out, I added its name to the annals in the House of Wind. Tonight at midnight I declare it before the court.”

“What is its name?” I asked, my heart fluttering at an inkling of realization.

Rhys turned me around his arms and pinned me to the spot with his star-flecked gaze. They glistened in the moonlight, and I thought he might be tearing up. “It’s called the Queen of Stars,” he murmured, brushing his knuckle over my cheek.

I actually _did_ tear up. “Rhys,” I said. I tried to say something else, but I couldn’t think of anything good enough. So I just raised my hand and drew him down to kiss me sweetly. His hand pressed into my back and he deepened the kiss, biting down on my lower lip as he ran his hand up and down my back. I closed all the space between our bodies and he wrapped his wings around us to give us privacy from any potential onlookers.

I could lose myself in this, I realized. In my love for this male, my mate, before me. I could stand here kissing him all night and never tire of it. He would be lucky if I even let him go at midnight to make his formal announcement.

But–there was another issue to attend to.

“Rhys,” I said, pulling away and pausing to catch my breath. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

Rhys smiled lazily, just as blissful as I was. “What is it, darling?” He cupped my cheek in his palm and laced his other fingers in mine.

My voice shook slightly and I took a deep breath. I had thought about making a speech, making this poetic in some way, but I had realized that there was no other way to say this than to come right out with it.

“Rhys, I’m pregnant.”

In my arms, Rhys went very still. His face closed down and I couldn’t read him, couldn’t tell what was going through his mind. I swallowed and searched his face with my eyes, but I could see nothing.

“Rhys?”

As though shaken from a trance, Rhys shuddered and looked over my face. “Feyre … darling, you’re sure?”

I nodded silently.

Before I could process what was happening, Rhys had snatched me by the waist and shot up into the air. The breath was ripped from my chest and I gasped as the night wind swirled around us. Velaris quickly became little more than a scattering of lights beneath us, and I clung to Rhys’s lapels as his magnificent wings kept us airborne.

When I got my bearings, I found my mate’s face, and the little breath I had regained was knocked away by the brilliance of my mate’s smile. My expression soon matched his, and his embrace was almost crushing as pulled me close, his arms wrapped around the backs of my thighs so I looked down on him. My mate. My radiant mate.

“Are you going to say anything?” I asked, cupping his face between my hands.

“If I could think of anything!” Rhys exclaimed breathlessly. “Oh, Feyre …” He kissed the exposed skin of my chest and his smile could not be dimmed. “Are you happy about this, my darling? I want to make sure you’re happy. Don’t … don’t make any decisions because of me.”

My fingers wove in his hair and I pressed my forehead to his. “Rhys, don’t be ridiculous. Of _course_ I’m happy! That doesn’t even begin to cover it.” I kissed him between the eyes.

He closed his eyes and sighed in ecstasy. “This is more than I ever could have dreamed of. How long have you known? How far along are you? I don’t understand how I didn’t notice!”

I smiled and combed his hair with my fingers. “Only a month. I just found out. I couldn’t wait to tell you because you notice everything, so if I wanted to surprise you …”

“You’ve succeeded,” Rhys laughed, his eyes shining bright. “I just … Feyre!” Then, with elegance that only a born Illyrian could accomplish, he held me close and pirouetted us in the sky, swirling us around until I was breathless and laughing.

Rhys glanced below us at the celebrations. “The court … Feyre, they’ll be overjoyed. A child …”

“We can’t tell them yet,” I said quietly. “It’s … well, in the human world, couples don’t say anything until after the third month. Because so many things can go wrong. I don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up.”

Rhys’s arms tightened around my legs. “ _Nothing_ will happen, Feyre. I’ll make sure of it.”

“There are some things even you can’t control, Rhys.”

A soft snarl rippled from his lips. “So I’m told.” He softened and met my eyes again. “We don’t have to tell anyone until you’re ready … though our friends might be a bit put out if they’re not the first ones to know.”

“We can tell them at the New Year. If they don’t figure it out before then, anyway.” I winked and Rhys laughed.

He then sighed and swept his arm behind my knees to cradle me to his chest before slowly letting us lose altitude. “You have made me so deliriously happy, my love.” He nuzzled his nose into my neck.

“It’s about time I return the favor,” I said lightly, and he growled his laugh into my skin, sending it rippling through my bones.

“I can’t wait to meet them,” he said as we swept lower over the city. “I hope they have your eyes.”

“Oh, I was going to say I hope they have your eyes,” I teased. We touched down on the ground in the same place we had taken off from. I stepped away from Rhys only a little and held both of his hands in mine. “Maybe in a century you can name a constellation after _them_.”

“Don’t think I won’t,” Rhys said, lifting an eyebrow. “But for tonight,” he said, drawing me back into his arms, “I’m more than blessed with my Queen of Stars.”


End file.
